“You want cotton, silk, wool, or rayon?” Usually, a person going to the shop to buy fabric gets asked this pretty general question. It is a very, very important question but too bland, too non-creative and very unhelpful. There are so many different types of each of these types of fabrics that the question leads you nowhere.
Under the label of cotton itself there are so many types of cotton fabrics – I counted more than 100. There are so many silk fabric varieties, wool fabric varieties . But if you know what you are going to make with it, things start getting simpler.
Fabric suitability to specific garment
Sewing Pants
Choose fabrics that are not too hard or rigid, or you wouldn’t be comfortable in them.
Linen, Denim and flannel are the best.
For colder climates, choose wool (100% as well as wool blends) – wool tweeds, wool crepe; it basically depends on what pants you are talking about – Tailored trousers, Unstructured Pant, Combined, Jeans. For tailored pants, you can choose wool or wool blends (with rayon). Corduroy is a comfortable fabric to choose for pants.
Sewing for kids
All cotton fabrics are good for kids. You can choose a cotton satin stretch or a cotton twill or cotton satin or lawn. Knit fabrics are also great for kids – you can go for wool knits. Interlock knits are dressmaking knits that stretch across the grain. Avoid synthetic textiles. Check out this post on the best fabric for clothes for babies and children for more detail on this topic.
Sewing Skirts
Lightweight cotton is my favorite to sew skirts, because they are available in so many prints, but they may require lining and I like simple to make skirts. If you do not mind that, then Cotton lawn cloth in pretty prints is great. Silk jersey is a great fabric for sewing skirts, as is Ponte Roma knit fabric.
You can buy printed silk and rayon in crepe, chiffon, georgette, and charmeuse; Fine knits in rayon, microfiber, and silk. Also, drapey rayons, soft wool, lycra blends, and stretch velvets are all suitable for sewing skirts. If you like more structure go for corduroy material
Sewing Jackets
Wool (Wool crepe has a great drape and gives enough structure for jackets; wool tweeds are great as well), Linen & Flannel. Velvet (Check out the slouchy velvet blazer tutorial, by the way). Lightweight knits are good for free-flowing jackets like this waterfall jacket pattern
Sewing dresses
If you are looking for fabric to make dreamy flowy gowns, look no further than silk chiffon, if budget is not an issue. Other wise look for cotton guaze (with the sizing on it), regular chiffon, georgette, satin etc.
Raw silk, satin, taffeta, velvet, Lace, silk chiffon, and Organza are all great for making dresses. But then it depends on the type of dress too. You can buy medium-weight fabrics with some spandex/elastane added for a fitting bodycon-type dress.
For drapey dresses, you can choose lightweight fabrics. Jersey has a drapey fit like this. Crepe, challis, and charmeuse are all drapey fabrics suited for this style.
Check out these posts : Best fabric for making casual dresses and tops; Names of different dresses.
Sewing lining inside clothes
Rayon, Acetate, and cotton lining materials are popularly used. Check out this post on lining and the fabrics used for making the lining for more details.
Sewing blouses/ shirts
Lightweight cotton fabric, Cambric, Chintz, Twill, Faille, Seersucker, Poplin, lightweight woven broadcloth, batiste, linen, eyelet are good for making shirts and blouses. I love chiffon blouses. Silky satin fabric is good for making airy tops.
Check out the post on the 7 best fabrics for making shirts.
Making shawls and scarves need different considerations for the fabric – check out this post on the fabrics for making scarves
FABRIC QUESTIONS
How to select fabrics for bleaching?
Avoid synthetic fabrics, acetate, acrylic, spandex, wool, silk, leather and suede. All other fabrics can be bleached with varying degree of success.
Are natural fabrics better than synthetic materials for dressmaking?
All fabrics have their own advantages and disadvantages. If I want a fabric for summer weather I would go for cotton (natural) but if I want a fabric to be water resistant may be a synthetic would be a better choice. Regenerated and synthetic fabrics are all chemically derived but if you are looking for fabrics without any chemical content, in today’s world it will be a rarity and very costly.
Dressmaking fabric width
Usually I have seen that apparel fabrics are available from 36 inch width to 60 inch. For clothes with flare, you may want to buy wider length fabrics. Upholstery fabrics are available in larger width as wide as 110 inches.
Which fabrics are best for printing?
All fabrics can be printed. But different printing methods should be used. On cotton and other natural fabrics, you can easily do direct to garment printing, Discharge Printing and screen printing. You can do heat transfer vinyls better on cotton than any other fabrics but it is also possible on polyester. Sublimation printing is great on polyester. On nylon, you can do screen printing using special inks. On silk, water based screenprinting is popular.
Which fabrics can be dyed?
Cotton, linen, wool, silk and nylon can be dyed successfully. Polyester need special dyes but perfection is not guarenteed.
Popular fabrics used for sewing
Cotton
This natural woven fabric is super comfortable and one of the best fabric to make clothes with. It is a breathable fabric and can make you feel cool even when the temperature is hot. This makes it a staple summer fabric. To top it all it is durable and easy to maintain.
The best thing about sewing with cotton is that it is easy. Compared to any other fabric, you can easily sew with it. Another advantage of getting cotton to sew your clothes is that it is inexpensive.
When you buy cotton for dressmaking ensure that you have the best by running your hands across the surface. If the surface feels smooth you can be assured that you have the best cotton. Inferior cotton will not feel smooth. Sometimes cotton will be too starched. When you rub it, the starch will fly as powder. It is better not to buy this.
Some cotton fabric will be loosely woven, so you need to see the cloth to know the quality of the cloth.
Another problem with cotton is that it will shrink in the wash. So prewashing is not an option; it is a necessity. If you plan to avoid prewashing, consider choosing the next size in the pattern when making dresses.
Cotton voile & cotton lawn are the best fabrics for making baby clothes and nightwear. Nowadays, many are going for organic cotton because of the way cotton is made.
Printed medium-weight cotton is the most popular for making dresses. You will also have to buy lining for these kinds of cotton because most are thin.
One disadvantage of cotton fabric is that it wrinkles easily, unless specific finishes are added to it.
There are about 100 different types of cotton fabric, as you can see from this post on the Name of the cotton fabric.
Related post : How to sew cotton; Organdy
Silk fabric
Silk is a beautiful fabric with a luxurious feel to it. It is smooth and has a luster which is very attractive. Silk is great for dressmaking
Checkout this post on Silk materials for clothes
It is a little difficult to maintain silk as most are marked as dryclean only. It can be slightly difficult to sew with as well.
So many different types of silk, it is mind-boggling – khadi silk, cotton silk, Tusser silk, crepe silk, polyester silk, silk dupioni.
When buying silk, you may find silk with a very high thread count – they are very durable and are the best and the softest. The problem with low thread count silks is that they are more delicate, and they pull apart at the seams. You will have to keep silk fabric away from heat and moisture.
The most popular silk fabrics for dressmaking are medium-weight (blouse-weight) silk, silk dupioni, and silk charmeuse. It is always best to buy silk that can be washed at home.
Related post: How to buy Silk : 10 important questions to ask so that you are not duped.
Linen fabric
Linen looks like a richer cousin of the cotton fabric – at least all the good qualities of cotton are present in linen plus the added elegance – cool, crisp and durable.
But remember that linen wrinkles a lot. It also doesn’t drape on the body like some of the other fabrics do. It is a somewhat stiff crispy fabric .
Ensure that the linen you are buying is not too crisp that it scratches the skin. Good quality linen will be soft. Choose the best quality linen, and you cannot go wrong. The dress you make with it will be neat and classy.
Have you seen those fine shirts made in linen – they do not have those raised bumps visible in the fabric I get for dressmaking at the store I shop. But the fact that those slubs are there ( as they are called ) does not make the linen bad quality. They are a part of the construction of the fabric.
You can buy linen when you want to make pants, formal blouses, and shirts, vests. Linen with lycra combines the desirable qualities of both fibers.
To remove the wrinkles in linen, dampen it and iron.
If you find that the price of linen is too good to be true, it probably is. Linen can come blended with other fibers like cotton and they are cheaper.
Check out linen fabric types for more details on the fabric.
Satin
Satin, with its luxurious feel, is usually the fabric of choice when making occasion wear. Kids’ dresses and wedding wear in satin are the most common sight.
You get different weights of satin fabric. A thicker-weight satin can be used to make structured garments.
It is a little difficult to sew with satin. The seams mostly look wonky, the machine tends to eat the fabric, and the needle puckers the surface. But the beauty of the fabric conquers all these problems. Right Interfacing at the right places can help a lot..
Checkout this post on sewing with Satin.
Polyester fabric
Polyester has its own disadvantages, but if you buy high-quality Polyester this fabric will give you many qualities that only synthetic fabrics possess. – great drape, ease of maintenance, adequate stretch and low cost. It is also somewhat resistant to mildew and moth, the bane of other clothes.
Actually, what endears me about this fabric is the way it is so easy to wash and care for Polyester. If you want to make pleats with it, the fabric will retain those pleats if you iron them with adequate heat – Polyester makes really sharp pleats. But normally, it does not easily wrinkle.
Low-quality Polyester develops cut threads on the surface after a few washes, and they look horrible, believe me.
Checkout this post on Polyester for more details.
Knit fabrics
Knit is a construction – and the fabrics made with this method has a great deal of stretch. There are people who only sew with knit. They adore knit for its stretch and comfortable fit and drape.
But you have to be careful whether it will remain soft against the body.
When buying knit what you look for is the gauge of the fabric – this is determined by counting stitches across vertical rows (wales). The higher the gauge, the finer the fabric. The lower the gauge, the coarser the fabric.
The cotton knit fabric blends the quality of comfortableness of cotton with the stretch of knit. Interlock knit is a favourite dressmaking knit fabric. It is reversible as it looks same on both sides. Jersey is an even better fabric as it is more lightweight and fuller than Interlock knit. Ponte Roma knit is another lovely knit fabric though it does not stretch as much as Interlock or Jersey. Ribbed knit is good for making cuffs, waistbands and necks.
Knit patterns are sewn differently from other fabrics which do not stretch as much. It is a difficult fabric to sew and requires a special needle (ball point needle) to sew with your sewing machine
Main dressmaking knits are Cotton / Modal Knits
3×3 Rib Knit
Doubleknit
Doubleknit Rayon Blend
Eyelash Knit
Jersey
Matte Jersey
Mesh Knits & Power Mesh
Mesh Knits (triple mesh)
Rayon / Lycra Jersey
sweater knits
Silk Jersey
Silk Mesh Knits
Know more about the different knitted fabric types here.
Wool fabrics
There are two types of wool – the finer, softer wool used to make garments and then the coarse one used to make blankets and rugs. When buying wool for sewing, Look out for soft fine wool fabric, but you will probably have to pay through your nose. The softness of the finest wool is worth the prize.
The fabric is usually bought for its warmth-giving properties, and you may need a thicker fabric for the purpose you have in mind.
Dry cleaning is preferred for wool fabric; Check out the post on more about all types of wool fabric; Properties of wool for more details.
Rayon
Rayon is a favorite for dressmaking because it is super light and very flowy; the wonderful way it drapes on the body is the reason why many of the clothes you see on stores are made in this fabric.
It is not the easiest fabric to sew with but the way it looks on you will compensate for the pain. It is a great fabric to make Dresses, blouses, soft jackets, skirts, draped garments, soft pants, shorts, and pajamas.
Rayon challis is the most popular choice when buying rayon- it is smooth and drapes excellently. You can sew beautiful dresses with this fabric. Look out for modal rayon, which is very smooth, and Tencel, which is also very soft and the best quality of all – no wrinkling. Normal Rayon fabric wrinkles a lot. Viscose Javanaise is another great rayon fabric for dressmaking..
But it is difficult to maintain rayon and does not last long. It also shrinks.
Checkout the post on Rayon for more details.
Blends
When fabric fibers are blended it results in a fabric which is far more superior than the original ( like plant budding). Blends carry forward most of the advantages of their parents and some more.
Most of the Blended fabrics are favourites in dress making; Like the Bizzy Lizzy cloth which is a blend of cotton and polyester ( 50-50 I suppose) – it has all the good qualities of cotton and polyester and very affordable.
Good quality Polycotton is a favourite of mine to make casual pants ; polyester blends make good lounge pants ; linen and cotton blends are the best for making dresses; Lycra blends are the best for making leggings because of the soft stretch it has along with the qualities of the natural fabric fibers it also has. They are figure flattering and at the same time, comfortable. Look out for a fabric with about 5% stretch synthetic material blends, and you will be comfortable.
Viscose and Polyester are also blended with natural fabrics to improve their care properties.
Another favorite blend is a 70-30 blend of Polyester and cotton – 2 by 2 ; 2 by 1. This is the material of choice for sari blouses.
Lace
Lace has an ethereal, completely feminine look to it which makes it the ideal fabric for women’s garments. Most of the lace needs lining as the open weave of the fabric makes it sheer, but with the right lining, it can be sewn to make beautiful dresses.
Check out the different types of lace fabric you can choose in this post and the 30+ ways you can incorporate lace in sewing
Velvet, chiffon, and leather are other beautiful fabrics you can make great garments with. Then there are special fabrics like beaded, sequined fabric, metallic fabric ; even fabric with a rubberized feel to it.
Poplin is one good fabric to buy, but I have difficulty getting hold of a great quality poplin that does not pill after a few washes, which is why this fabric is not on the list. But most of the readymade shirts are made in high-quality poplin. I buy poplin mostly as a lining fabric rather than the main fabric for dressmaking.
You cannot categorically classify fabrics as ‘suitable’ or ‘non suitable’ for sewing and for dress-making. Each fabric has its own qualities. Knowing some of the properties and the advantages of choosing them sure helps in making the process of sewing a lot easier.
Acrylic, Spandex, and Ramie are other favorites for dressmaking. Ramie looks a lot like linen. This fabric is blended with Polyester, cotton, linen, and acrylic. Acrylic and Acetate are very common fabrics you will find in ready-to-wear clothes. Acrylic is very prone to pilling, so you will find that you have come to dislike it after some wear and a wash. Acetate is usually a dry-clean only fabric (to maintain its looks), though it is inexpensive.
The right type of fabric can make a lot of difference in the way the final garment looks, so take your time selecting the best fabric you can afford..
More reading on this topic: Fabric Sewing Guide – Claire Shaeffer
Related posts – Material for bag making; The Best dressmaking tips in a nutshell
ade. Yarn made designs are qualitatively better than printed ones.
You can have a look at this post on List of fabric print names to put a name on quite a few. And also if you are further curious the different ways the patterns are repeated and positioned on fabric.
Related posts : Different types of fabric prining ; Fabric dye types; How to dye fabric; Natural dyeing of fabric.
